As is typical of most switches and toggle mechanisms, as the switch or toggle mechanisms is operated, spring guides travel back and forth through a spring retainer. However, because of the forces involved in the operation of the switch or the toggle mechanism, the spring guides tend to be forced against the inner edge(s) of the retaining slot in the retainer. These forces cause a rubbing action of the spring guides against the spring retainer wearing the spring retainer and will, in a relatively short duty cycle, "saw through" the spring retainer resulting in the disabling of the function of the spring retainer. Referring to FIG. 1, a typical switch mechanism 10 is depicted with a rotor cam 12, spring guides 14, spring cam 16, retainer 18 and mechanism housing 20. Referring to FIG. 2, as spring guides 14 pass back and forth through spring retainer slot 22 in retainer 18, the spring guides are forced into contact with edge 23 of retainer slot 22 causing it to wear and eventually saw through the retainer. The prior art has no method or apparatus to prevent such saw through, or the spring guide was made as a single plastic member of circular cross section which produced complications in the design of the spring cam. Such complications required the spring cam to be a "U"-shaped member in order to retain the plastic circular cross section spring guide as contrasted to a flat stamped cam member to retain one flat stamped spring guide on each of its sides.
It would therefore be an advantage over the prior art designs to provide an arrangement and configuration which overcomes the above-stated disadvantages and which accomplishes the foregoing objective by providing a novel, simple, inexpensive and reliable spring guides and spring retainer combination.